My American Indian History class (HIST388) is organized into four interconnected themes or paths that we will explore. These themes reflect both the perspectives and experiences of Indians in America. Our goal is for you to leave this class with a deeper understanding of what it has meant to be an Indigenous person in America from their emergence to the present, focusing on their long struggle to preserve their identities as Native people in the face of systemic attempts to erase, eradicate and ultimately appropriate their life, land and culture.

We will seek out the stories embedded in many forms of evidence, both primary and secondary in nature, such as tribal and personal stories, visual images, material culture, written language texts and video accounts. Guests from various tribes and Indian nations will periodically join our discussions so that you can ask questions about how their people have navigated these four paths. We will attend the annual Iron Hill Science Center Indian Powwow in the fall, and plan for an optional trip to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC in order to gain even more insight into Native American culture and perspectives.